Compound crawler



E. RIMAILHO.

COMPOUND CRAWLER.

APPLlcAmN FILED AUG.8, 191s.

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E. RIMAILHO.

COMPOUND CRAWLER.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.8. 1918.

l1,3" 2,315. l Patentedsept. 7,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMILE RIMAILI-IO, 0F PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO COMPAGNIE DES FORGES ETACIERIES DE LA MARINE ET DHOMECOURT, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

COMPOUND CRAWLER.

Speecaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1920.

Application led August 8, 1918. Serial No. 249,006.

To all whom it 'may Concern:

Be it known that I, EMILE RIMAILHO, a citizen of the French Republic,and residing in Paris, France, 12 Rue de la Rochefoucauld, consultingengineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in andRelating to Compound Crawlers, of which the following is a completespecification.

This invention has for its object to provide a compound crawler tractorwith steerable propelling means whereby I am able to provide an improvedgun carriage for transporting and firing ordnance, as well as fortransporting loads of any kind.

1While motor driven mobile crawlers have been used they usually do notpossess steering facilities, and an important characteristic of mypresent invention is the quality of dirigibility, which enables tractionin either a rectilinear or curvilinear direction.

This quality of dirigibility or ability to be steered is particularlyvaluable for use with the gun carriages of heavy artillery, since itprovides means for moving them on varying ground, while still allowingtheir travel on the road by their usual means. Y

As the compound crawler comprises two elementary crawlers carriedpreferably at each side of a central beam, the elementary crawlers arecapable of being actuated separately and independently by hand or by amotor, and if either of them be actuated in opposite directions thereresults a displacement or movement in a curvilinear direction; while ifthe elementary crawlers are driven in the same direction, a rectilinearmotion of the whole results.

The compound crawler can be readily adapted for use as the frame of awagon, or a gun carriage.

The central beam of the compound crawlers may have its upper part flatso as to receive any kind of a load, or it may have its upper tace soshaped, as for instance, in the 'form of a bearing capable ofaccommodating` an axle tree, or it may be provided with a recess toreceive an axle.

lf the load to be carried be a gun carriage or an element thereofprovided with an axle, it will be possible when it is lifted, to furnishit with wheels mounted at the ends of its axles.

The property 01"' dirigibility of my compound crawlers aids greatly insecuringease in training in any direction. For the purpose of aiding intraining the gun the compound crawler is placed transversely of andunder the trail, the front part of the gun carriage resting upon wheels,or upon other compound crawlers.

A hand operated device for propelling the compound crawler permits apivotal movement of the entire gun carriage, such movement being securedby the sliding of the points of contact ol its front part of the guncarriage relatively to the compound crawler of the trail.

In the accompanying` drawings which illustrate by way of example,constructional forms of my invention,

Figure l shows in elevation a compound crawler embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same,

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the device illustrated in Fig. l, but providedwith wheels for transporting same,

Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 shows an assembly of compound crawlers,

Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing application of the invention to a guncarriage,

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of this adaptation,

Fig. 8 is a side elevation showing application of crawlers to supportgun and carriage during firing,

F ig. 9 is a side elevation showing an adaptation of the invention asapplied to heavy artillery gun carriages,

Fig. 10 is a similar view showing another position of the parts, and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail view showing adaptation to heavy artilleryor ordnance carriages to act as a recoil check.

Referring specifically to the drawings in Figs. l and 2, a central beaml is shown which supports in the manner well known in this type oitdevices, elementary crawlers 2 and 3 which are of conventional type.

Each of these elementary crawlers may be driven by means of handles 4Land 5 which actuate a hand operating mechanism.

The upper part of the central beam l projects above the upper level oithe crawlers 2 and 3 so that the top surface of the beam is relativelymuch elevated above such crawlers, and this upper surface may beperfectly flat to form a slideway 6 or it may be so fashioned as tosustain a bearing capable of accommodating an axle.

Each side face of the compound crawler is provided with screw jacks Tand 8 pivotally connected thereto by means of which a carriage supportedon the beam may be lifted.

The central beam 1 may also be provided in its central portion, with ahole 9 into which may be introduced an axle or other part of a guncarriage, whereby the compound crawler may rock so as to accommodateitself to any gradient in the road, or to any inequalities in the roadbed, during movement of the crawlers.

lVithin the central beam 1 a thermic, electric, or other motor may bearranged.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I show a pair of compound crawlers which may be steeredas they proceed such crawlers being designated as 10 and 11 connected bycommon axles 12 whereby to form a carriage. They are shown as lifted bymeans of screw jacks i and 8, so that the wheels 13 may be placed on theaxles.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a carriage comprising three crawlers, oneor more of which are of the compound type and dirigible.

In Figs. 6 and 7, the reference character 14 indicates an artillery guncarriage the axle 15 of which rests in the bearings 16 and 17 arrangedupon the central beam of the crawlers 18 and 19, which may be of thesingle type, or of the compound type which may be steered whileprogressing. The trail of this gun carriage rests upon the compoundcrawler 20, the beam of which is provided with a vertical pivot pin 21at the base of which is the circular bearing 22. This pivot is adaptedto engage with the opening 23 in the trail, and in which it is housed.

This assembly of three crawlers, two of which are mounted on the sameaxle upon which they may rock to accommodate themselves to sinuositiesor inequalities of the ground, and the third of which is compound andcapable of being steered while in motion, permits the last mentionedcrawler to be trained relatively to the other two by virtue of itspivotal connection and the independent drive of its elementary crawlers.Hence a complete gun carriage is produced which is capable of beingtrained in any direction even while in transit.

The same device that is, the assembly comprising three crawlers may beutilized for supporting the artillery gun carriage during firing of thegun by turning the crawler 20 on the pivot 21 so that said crawler isbraced against the ground perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of thetrail and at a right angle to the kick7 or recoil of the mount, asplainly indicated in Fig. 7.

In Fig. 8, I have shown how the trail may be set into firing positionwithout the use of the crawler 20. In this adaptation the trail spade isforced into the ground, while the front portion of the mount issupported upon the spaced apart crawlers 18 and 19.

For long journeys it will be found desirable to equip the assembly withtraction wheels and this can be readily done by elevating the crawlersby jacking and applying the wheels as indicated in Figs. 3 and L1.

The elementary crawlers are preferably placed on both sides of a beam 1but it is obvious that they may be otherwise located, as for instance onthe same side of a bearing or upon a forked bearing, and between theforks.

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 show an application of the twin or compound crawlerto a heavy artillery gun carriage, the platform 25, of which issupported at the front by means of an axle 26, upon two crawlers 27, andat the rear through the medium of a screw jack 28 upon the central beamof a third crawler 29, which likewise is compound. In this form, itshould be observed, the underside of the platform is formed as aprojection 30. By manipulating the screw jack .28, which has a togglejoint connection with the central beam by being seated in a sockettherein, this projection 30 may be caused to rest on the ground, and thescrew jack can then be disengaged from the crawler. By this operationthe crawler 29, may be entirely freed from the gun carriage and hencerelieved of all strain incident to recoil, during firing of the gun. Or,as illustrated in Fig. 11 the crawler 29, may be used connected to thegun mount during firing, but it is disposed transversely of thelongitudi` nal axis of the mount, permitting training of the gun in anydirection.

To remove the gun from its firing position, the compound crawler' isturned into line with the longitudinal axis of the gun carriage, thescrew-j ack lowered in its toggle-joint and operated to cause thelifting of the platform, and the gun carriage is then ready for movementover any character of ground.

As before stated, for long hauls, the traction wheels may be applied, ashereinbefore described.

Vhat I claim is 1. A compound crawler with steerablc progression, andcomprising a central carrier plate, two elementary and independentcrawlers spaced apart in parallel relation, said elementary crawlerspivotally carried on opposite sides of said carrier plate and on acommon pivot, and means for driving each crawler independently of theother.

2. A compound crawler construction comprising a central vertical beam,and elementary crawlers mounted on each side of said central beam, theupper surface of said central beam disposed above the level of travel ofthe treads of the elementary crawlers, said surface constituting a loadplatform.

3. A compound crawler device comprising two compound crawlers capable ofsteerable progression, axles connecting the same, screw lifting-jackmeans carried by said crawlers, and wheels mounted on said common axleor axles.

4:. A gun carriage resting by its axle in bearings arranged on thecentral beams of the crawlers, and the trail of which rests upon acompoundcrawler fulfilling the function of steerable fore-carriage, andthe beam of which is provided with a pivot en gaged into a housingprovided in the trail7 compound crawler enabling by its pivotingrelatively to the axis of the gun and by its progression, a training inall directions.

5. In combination, a gun carriage including a trail spade and an axle, acompound crawler consisting of a central carrier beam and independentlydriven elementary crawlers pivotally mounted on each side of said beam,a bearing mounted on said beam and said gun carriage axle seated in saidbearings.

6. A heavy gun carriage assembly comprising a gun platform, three groupsof compound crawlers positioned to provide a pair of spaced apartcrawlers at the front and upon which the front of said gun platform issupported by axles, and a single compound crawler at the rear,vertically adjusting means connecting the said rear crawler and rear endof the platform, said platform having a downwardly projecting portionadjacent its rear end whereby said rear portion may be raised andlowered by the aforesaid vertical adjusting means.

7 A compound crawler comprising a pair of elementary crawlers spacedapart and mounted in parallel relation to each other, a common axleconstituting supporting and pivotal means for said elementary crawlers,motive means independently driving each of said elementary crawlers,whereby the compound crawler may be steered during progression.

8. Compound crawler with steerable progression, comprising twoelementary compound crawlers with steerable progression, a common axleupon which said crawlers are mounted, screw jacks carried by saidcrawlers, and wheels for sustaining the crawlers free of the ground andtraveling on roads.

9. Compound crawlers with steerable progression comprising three groupsof two elementary crawlers, bearings provided on two of said groups, agun carriage including a trail and resting by its axles on saidbearings, a pivot provided on the beam of one of the groups of crawlers,said pivot engaging in a housing of the trail of said gun carriage,said' trail resting on the pivot carrying group of crawlers.

l0. Compound crawlers with steerable progression comprising three groupsof two ele mentary crawlers having convex lower faces which rest on theground, bearings provided on two of said groups, a gun carriage havingaxles and resting by said axles on said bearings, a pivot provided onthe beam of one group of crawlers, said pivot engaging in a housing ofthe trail of said gun carriage, said trail resting on the pivot carryinggroup of crawlers.

ll. Compound crawler with steerable progression comprising three groupsof elementary crawlers, a platform mount of a heavy gun carriage restingbetween two of the groups of elementary crawlers, a screw jack on theother of said groups and resting on the central beam thereof andsupporting the rear end of the trail of said gun carriage, the platformmount of said gun carriage projecting downwardly whereby the platformmay rest on the ground and thus free the corresponding crawler from therecoil effects during firing.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at SaintEtienne(France) this twenty-fourth day of June, 1918.

EMILE RIMAILHO. [1.. s] lVitnesses:

ERNEST DnLrUL, PIERRE PEYRIEUX.

